Earlier this year, Blizzard received pushback from Overwatch players over the appearance of the new hero, Anran, in part because her in-game appearance too closely resembled other characters on the roster. Blizzard subsequently promised to rework Anran, and now the publisher has unveiled her new face ahead of Season 2.
Overwatch director Aaron Keller shared Anran’s updated appearance online, and noted that some other subtle changes like her posture were modified to make her seem more like a confident and mature leader.
In Season 2, we’re introducing an updated look for Anran. She didn’t fully land as the fiery and fierce sister of Wuyang that we hoped she would. With this update, our team focused on strengthening her overall presence.
This evolution reflects both our creative intent and the… pic.twitter.com/1AwaVDuzdo— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) April 6, 2026
“We focused on her eyes, eyebrows, and mouth, and we moved away from that baby face, look, and expression to something more sincere and more mature,” said Keller. “Even something like a simple posture change can help Anran feel, well, more like Anran! We’re really happy with the way these changes turned out, and also that she has a closer resemblance to her brother Wuyang.”
Anran’s voice performer Fareeha, who had previously backed players’ call for a redesign, expressed elation at the updated face.
“Thank you so much for making this change,” wrote Fareeha. “Her new look is so striking and you all did so well especially within the tech limitations at hand. I’m so happy and grateful this happened.”
The new design for Anran will arrive with Overwatch Season 2 on April 14.
